Oh and it is important to mention

In the interest of full disclosure, all of the places we're house hunting are really nice suburbs of Paris.  As in, although my neighbors won't all be movie stars and the Paris snob elite cognoscenti, I feel really damn lucky to be able to even think about looking for a place there nice.  So when I say not perfect I mean that in a wow-I'm-privileged-and-I'm-beginning-to-get-that kind of way.  I mean that my "perfect" was clearly out of whack to begin with.

Ahem. That's part of being an adult too, right?  Or at least less of a spoiled expat.

By the way, it's snowing here, and that, too, gives me a new perspective on this city.  Snow in Paris!  It wreaks about as much havoc as it does in Seattle, but it can be as much fun. I just hope we're able to drive to the apartment visits tomorrow, or else I'll have to chalk it up to direct divine intervention in my house hunt.  I may take it as a sign that Someone wants us to move to Versailles after all, maybe wants us to work to reestablish the monarchy.  The divine right of kings.  And real estate.  Or something.